Orbit and rotation Pluto's orbit and the ecliptic. Orbit of Pluto—ecliptic view. This 'side view' of Pluto's orbit (in red) shows its large inclination to Earth's ecliptic orbital plane. This diagram shows the relative positions of Pluto (red) and Neptune (blue) on selected dates. The size of Neptune and Pluto is depicted as inversely proportional to the distance between them to emphasise the closest approach in 1896. Pluto's orbital period is 248 Earth years. Its orbital characteristics are substantially different from those of the planets, which follow nearly circular orbits around the Sun close to a flat reference plane called the ecliptic . In contrast, Pluto's orbit is highly inclined relative to the ecliptic (over 17°) and highly eccentric ( elliptical ). This high eccentricity means a small region of Pluto's orbit lies nearer the Sun than Neptune 's. The Pluto–Charon barycentre came to perihelion on September 5, 1989, [1] [j] and was last closer to the Sun than Neptune between February 7, 1979

This preview
has intentionally blurred sections.
Sign up to view the full version.